일, 이, 삼 il, i, sam: Korean Numbers

In this post you’ll learn Korean numbers and how to use them. So you’ll learn how to count in Korean, and then you’ll see how to use Korean numbers in practical situations. First, we’ll learn that there are two kinds of Korean numbers. Next we’ll look at the basic Korean numbers from one to ten. Then we’ll see higher numbers. Finally we’ll see some examples of using numbers in conversation, for talking about prices, giving addresses and phone numbers, and more..

Two Kinds of Numbers?

Korean uses two different number systems. The “Native Korean” numbers are used mostly to express quantities lower than 100, for example times, a person’s age, or expressing lower quantities of people or object: two cups of coffee, three students, thirty years old, etc. They’re also used to count hours in giving the time, but not minutes or seconds. You only have to learn how to count up to 99 in the Korean system, because even though there are higher numbers, they’re never used.

The other set of numbers is called “Sino-Korean,” because these numbers were borrowed from Chinese. Sino-Korean numbers are used to talk about days, months, and years when giving the date; to express seconds and minutes; to give phone numbers; and to discuss money and prices and anything else associated with larger numbers. Sino-Korean numbers go from zero to  infinity, as you can probably guess.

How to count in Korean from 1-10 with Native Korean Numbers

Let’s start with the Native Korean numbers numbers from 하나 hana (one) to 열 yeol (ten.)

• 하나 hana one
• 둘 dul two
• 셋 set three
• 넷 net four
• 다섯 daseot five
• 여섯 yeoseot six
• 일곱 ilgop seven
• 여덟 yeodeol eight
• 아홉 ahop nine
• 열 yeol ten

How to count in Korean from 11-19 with Native Korean Numbers

Now let’s look at higher Native Korean numbers. Teens in the Native Korean system all begin with 열 yeol (ten), simply attached to the ones place number.

• 열하나 yeolhana eleven
• 열둘 yeoldul twelve
• 열셋 yeolset thirteen
• 열넷 yeolnet fourteen
• 열다섯 yeoldaseot fifteen
• 열여섯 yeolyeoseot sixteen
• 열일곱 yeolilgop seventeen
• 열여덟 yeolyeodeol eighteen
• 열아홉 yeolahop nineteen

How to count in Korean from 20-99 with Native Korean Numbers

Next, let’s move on to Native Korean numbers above 19. The tens place numbers from twenty through ninety have their own forms, not entirely predictable from the basic ones place numbers.

• 스물 seumul twenty
• 서른 seoreun thirty
• 마흔 maheun forty
• 쉰 shwin fifty
• 예순 yesun sixty
• 일흔 ilhun seventy
• 여든 yeodeun eighty
• 아흔 aheun ninety

To form numbers in between simply say the ones place after the tens place.

• 스물 일곱
  seumul ilgop
  27
• 서른 여덟
  seorun yeodeol
  38
• 아흔 다섯
  aheun daseot
  95

Using Native Korean Numbers

Let’s see some typical examples of how you might use Native Korean numbers. Remember, these are normally used to count people and things below 100, to give the hour in times, and to talk about age.

• 물 두 잔 주세요.  
  mul du jan juseyo.  
  Two glasses of water, please.
• 몇 시예요?  
  myeot shiyeyo?  
  What time is it?
• 저녁 일곱시예요. / 아침 열한시예요.  
  jeonyeok ilgopshiyeyo. / achim yeolhanshiyeyo.  
  It’s seven o’clock in the evening / eleven o’clock in the morning.
• 자매가 몇명 있어요?  
  jamaega myeotmyeong isseoyo?  
  How many sisters do you have?
• (나는) 두명의 자매가 있어요.  
  (na-neun) dumyeong-e jamae-ga isseoyo.  
  I have two sisters.
• 몇 살이에요?  
  myeot sarieyo?  
  How old are you?
• (나는) 스무살/서른 다섯살/ 쉰살 이에요.  
  (na-neun) seumusal/seoreun daseossal/ shwinsal ieyo.  
  I’m twenty/ thirty five/ fifty years old.

GRAMMAR TIP! Did you notice the words 잔 jan and 명 myeong in the examples above? These are called counters, and you need to use them when you count things in Korean. Check out the note at the end of this post for more information.

How to count from 0-10 with Sino-Korean Numbers

Now let’s move to the Sino-Korean numbers, starting with 영 yeong  zero through 십 ship ten.

• 영  yeong zero
• 일  il one
• 이  i two
• 삼  sam three
• 사  sa four
• 오  o five
• 육  yuk six
• 칠  chil seven
• 팔  pal eight
• 구  gu nine
• 십  ship ten

How to count from 11-19 with Sino-Korean Numbers

The Sino-Korean numbers from eleven through nineteen are formed by simply starting with 십 shib (ten) and adding the ones-place number.

• 십일 shibil eleven
• 십이  shibi twelve
• 십삼  shipsam thirteen
• 십사  shipsa fourteen
• 십오  shibo fifteen
• 십육  shibyuk sixteen
• 십칠  shipchil seventeen
• 십팔  shippal eighteen
• 십구  shipgu nineteen

How to count from 20-99 with Sino-Korean Numbers

To form twenty, thirty, forty, and so on, simply reverse the order that you use in the teens. For example, ten + ones place number gives you teens, such as십이  shibi twelve. If you reverse the order to ones place number + ten, you get twenty and higher, such as 이십  iship twenty. For numbers between the tens place, just add another ones place number, for example two + ten + three is 23.

• 이십  iship twenty
• 이십일  ishibil twenty-one
• 이십이  ishibi twenty-two
• 이십삼  ishipsam twenty-three
• 이십사  ishipsa twenty-four
• 이십오  ishibo twenty-five
• 삼십  samship thirty
• 사십  saship forty
• 오십  oship fifty
• 육십  yukship sixty
• 칠십  chilship seventy
• 팔십  palship eighty
• 구십 guship ninety

Higher Sino-Korean Numbers

And here are higher Korean numbers from 100 on. English has unit words to define hundred, thousand, and million. Korean has those, but also adds the unit 만 man for 10,000. So 100,000 is ten 만 man instead of one hundred 천   cheon.

• 백  baek 100
• 이백  ibaek 200
• 삼백  sambaek 300
• 사백  sabaek 450
• 천  cheon 1,000
• 이천  icheon 2,000
• 만 man 10,000
• 십만   shipman 100,000
• 백만 baekman 1,000,000

Using Sino-Korean Numbers

Let’s see some typical examples of how you might use Sino-Korean numbers. Notice that these examples involve dates, prices, phone numbers, addresses, floors, and room numbers.

• 오늘 며칠이에요?
  oneul myeochil ieyo?
  What’s the date today?
• 오늘은 이천이십일년 십일월 팔일이에요.  
  oneul-eun icheon iship-il nyeon shipilweol palil ieyo.
  Today is November (“11^th Month”) 8, 2021.
• 비용이 얼마예요?  
  biyongi eolmayeyo?  
  How much does it cost?
• 만원이에요.  
  manwonieyo.  
  It costs 10,000 won.
• 전화번호가 뭐예요?  
  jeonhwabeonho-ga mwoyeyo?  
  What is your phone number?
• 나의/내 전화번호는 공일공 일이삼 사오육칠이에요. (010-123-4567)
  na-e/nae jeonhwabeonho-neun gongilgong irisam saoyukchirieyo. (010-123-4567)My phone number is 010-123-4567.
• 호텔은 어디에 있어요?  
  hoter-eun eodi-e isseoyo?  
  Where is the hotel?        
• 호텔은 종로구 이십오25에 있어요.  
  hoter-eun jongrogu 25-e isseoyo.
   The hotel is at 25 Jongno-gu.
• 삼층에 있는 삼십 칠호예요.  
  samcheunge itneun samship chilhoyeyo.  
  It’s room number thirty seven, on the third floor.

GRAMMAR TIP!

When you count things or use numbers in Korean, you need to use grammatical particles called “counters.” The counter you’ll use depends on what you’re counting. The most common ones are:

• 개 gae general, small objects, items
• 명, 사람, 분 myeong, saram, bun people
• 잔 jan cups, glasses
• 병 byeong bottles
• 장 jang paper, tickets, shirts
• 원 won Korean currency, ₩
• 권 gweon books
• 대 dae mechanical things
• 채 chae houses, buildings
• 층 cheung floors in a building
• 벌 beol clothing
• 켤레 kyeolle pairs of shoes or socks
• 시 shi time in hours
• 분 bun minutes
• 초 cho seconds
• 살  sal age in years
• 월 wol months
• 년 nyeon years

Counters for Sino-Korean numbers typically follow the simple format number + counter.

• 만원 manwon 10,000 Won
• 십일월 shipilweol November (“Eleven-Month”)
• 천 명 cheon myeong one thousand people

With Native Korean numbers, you typically use a noun expressing the item you’re counting (물 mul water or 자매 jamae sister below). There are a few different patterns, but the most common are:

• item noun + number + counter, for example:
  물 두 잔 주세요.  
  mul du jan juseyo.  
  Two glasses of water, please.
• number + possessive particle –의 -e + item noun, for example:
  두명의 자매가 있어요.  
  dumyeong-e jamae-ga isseoyo.  
  I have two sisters.

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We hope you’ve enjoyed learning how to count in Korean, and how to use Korean numbers. If you’re interested in learning more, check out our other posts on Korean language, culture, and more. And if you’re looking for convenient and affordable live Korean lessons with a real teacher, check out The Language Garage. Our lessons are given online in a virtual classroom, so it doesn’t matter where you live or work – we can come to you. And we have flexible options, with a free trial so that you can decide if there’s a fit. Check us out!

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